The TSA says it’s unlikely security processes at U.S. airports will change much following the shooting at LAX on Friday. The agency said in a statement that“passengers may see an increased presence of local law enforcement officers throughout the country” but there are no immediate plans to arm security staff or change procedures. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia remains in hospital with four gunshot wounds he sustained after he allegedlyentered Terminal 3 at LAX early Friday with an assault rifle and started shooting, killing one TSA officer and wounding three others. After moving past the screening area, Ciancia was tracked by airport police took him down in a gun fight Ciancia was taken into custody and delivered to UCLA medical center.
Security experts are pointing out that the screening areas are designed to keep weapons and explosives off airplanes and that there is no way to guard against random violent acts like this. They point out that security is expensive and budgets are limited so preventing this kind of incident is difficult. Evidence collected from Ciancia suggests he was disgruntled with the government although it’s unclear why he specifically targeted TSA screeners. One witness who spoke with reporters at NBC news stated that he attempted to hide but was found by the gunman who asked the witness if he was with the TSA. When the witness replied that he was not with the TSA, the gunman left. A ground stop was put in place at the airport until 4 p.m. local time, causing a ripple of delays for carriers throughout the country. Multiple sources have said that Ciancia has been linked to the Los Angeles area and New Jersey.
